Rail-joint.



PATENTED DEC. 29, 1903.

.1: P. VILSAGK.

RAIL JOINT.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 9, 1903.

N0 MODEL.

i NITED STATES iatented 'Ilecemloer 2, 1903;

JOSEPH F. VILSAOK, OF JOHNSTOWN, PENNSYLVANIA.

RAIL-JOINT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 748,444, dated December 29, 1903.

Application filed November 9, 1903. Serial No. 180,412. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOSEPH F. VILSACK, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Johnstown, in the county of Cambria and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Rail-Joints, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in rail-joints; and the primary object of the invention is to provide novel and effective means for securely fas tening the rails at the joints without the aid of the ordinary fish-plates and bolts.

Briefly described, the invention comprises a rail-chair embodying a saddle-plate provided along each side edge with an upwardlyextending flange and a pair of clamp-plates each comprising a fish-plate member and an integral base member, which is adapted to extend inwardly for some distance underneath the base of the rails. The fish-plate members are made of an increased thickness to give extraordinary strength at the joint of the rails, the outer face of the fish-plate members being flush with the sides of the railtread, and the upper edgesof said fish-plate members are provided with a tongue which fits into a groove provided therefor in the underneath face of the rail-tread.

All of the above construction will be here inafter more specifically described and then particularly pointed out in the claims, and in describing the invention in detail referencewill be had to theaccompanying drawings, forming a part of this application, and wherein like numerals of reference will be employed for designating like parts throughout the dilferent views of the drawings, in which- Figure 1 is an end view of a rail-joint constructed in accordance with my invention, showing the rail in crosssection. Fig. 2 is a side elevation thereof. Fig. 3 is a detached detail perspective View of one of the clampplates. Fig. 4 is a like view of the saddleplate; and Fig. 5 is an end view of a slightlymodified form of construction, showing the rail in cross-section.

To put my invention into practice, I providethe rails 1 with grooves 2 in the under- 'der 6' of the fish-plate member.

neath face of the rail-tread, which grooves are preferably formed in the rails in the rolling of the latter, though they may be out therein for some distance at the ends of the rails only, if so desired. I employ a pair of clamp-plates, one for each side of the rails, and each of these clamp-plates comprises a fish-plate member 3 and an integral base member 4. The fish-plate member is made of considerably greater thickness than the base member, being preferably of a thickness which will make the outer face of the said member flush with the side or outer face of the rail-tread, though not extended beyond the outer or side face of the rail-tread, so that it will not interfere with the wheelflange. The upper edge of this fish-plate member 3 is shouldered off along the outer edge to form a tongue 5, which is adapted to engage in the groove 2 in the rails, the flange 7, formed underneath the rail-tread by grooving said rail-tread, resting on the shoul- The two base members atare not adapted to meet at their inner edges, a space being left between the same, as clearly seen in Fig. 1, thus allowing the clamp-plates to be forced up tight against the rail-base. These two clamp-plates are received on a saddle-plate 8, the vertical edge walls 9 of the clamp members fitting neatly against the vertical side walls 10, carried by the saddle-plate 8.

In order to permit the insertion of the clampplates from the sides of the rails, I may provide sufficient clearance in the grooves in the rails, as shown at 2 in Fig. 5, the construction of the clamp-plates, however, being the same. The device is secured to the crossties by the usual spikes 11, the heads of which engage the upper edges of the side walls 10.

It will be noted that various changes may be made in the details of construction without departing from the general spirit of the invention.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is'

1. In a rail-joint, the combination with the rails having grooves in the underneath side of their tread, ofclamp-plates comprising fishplate members having tongues to engage in said grooves and base members extending plate members to engage in the grooves in the rail-tread, and a saddle-plate having upwardly-extending side walls, the base members of the clamp-plates resting on the saddie-plate and the outer edges of the clampplates engaging the side walls, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affiX my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

JOSEPH F. VILSACK.- Witnesses:

JOSEPH DONAHUE, JOHN DONAHUE. 

